Music Technology BA (Hons)

About the course

This course will enable you to work creatively with music technology. You will compose and mix music, and you will explore the many creative uses of sound in the Media Industries. You will develop knowledge and skills to support your own creativity, including critical listening, arranging, and sound recording. In addition, you will learn about principles of the underlying technology, and you will write your own computer programs in an easy-to-learn visual language.

Producing music or sound for media projects is an important part of this course. For example, you will learn to compose music for film, and have the opportunity to collaborate with students from Radio, Animation, TV Production and other creative courses.

Students on BA Music Technology have access to state of the art Music Technology facilities, including a dedicated computer lab with a wide range of music software, and two recording studios.

Music Technology with Professional Practice Year - BA (Hons)

This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.

There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.

*Only available to UK/EU students.

Music Technology with Foundation Year - BA (Hons)

A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.

Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.

There is also a £500 Foundation Year Bursary available to UK students starting September 2018.

With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.

The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.

This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.

Why study a Foundation Year degree?

Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills

Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area

Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in

Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees

The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.

During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.

Why choose this course?

Learn a wide range of industry-specific and transferable skills, including high-level computing skills

Study a mix of practical, theoretical and academic subjects including music and business

Gain experience on industry-standard music technology equipment and software in dedicated studios

Explore a wide range of musical repertoires

Benefit from a course that will open doors to careers in sound recording, production and mastering; audio-related areas such as forensic audio, noise analysis/measurement, audio restoration, audio archiving, and acoustic consultancy; design & development, testing, documentation, and consultancy of music software; music technology journalism; music management; education and other areas of the music industry

How will I be assessed?

The assessment methods in the course range from traditional methods for assessing knowledge and skills (in particular exams and writing essays), to activities of practice-based research (e.g. music composition and production, computer software development).

It also includes assessment methods designed to train core skills that the University expects all courses to emphasise and focus on (e.g. presentations for practicing communication).

Entry requirements

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for breadth and depth in your current studies and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

UCAS introduced a new tariff for courses from September 2017. This means the points you will be asked for are different to previous years but the grades you receive have not changed.

At least 80 points with 64 points from 2 A level passes at C or above

At least 80 points with 64 from Merit Merit in two BTEC Subsidiary Diplomas or one BTEC Diploma

You will be invited for an interview once your application has been processed by UCAS and if you meet the other entry requirements. Attendance at the interview is an entry requirement.

How will this course enhance my career prospects?

Several units in this course have a strong vocational nature. For example, in Music Business your main assessment requires you to write a business plan for a project idea of your own.

In Recording and Production, you record and mix music. In Music for Media you compose for film and other media, and in Sound for Media Collaboration you contribute sound and/or music to projects of students from other courses (eg., TV Production, Media Performance…) or other projects.

You also develop your employability in optional curricular activities, which change every year. We try to offer our students opportunities to work on projects were they gain experience for possible future jobs.

In addition, the School offers activities intended to bring you in contact with further industry professionals, such as the Media Junction events.

Andrew Perry

My studies in music technology at the University of Bedfordshire were some of the most valuable years of my life. I have come away from the course having gained a very good understanding of a wide range of topics. The course was kept interesting by its variety, with each unit touching on a different aspect of the music industry, from producing music for video games, TV and film, to studying the music business and copyright law.

A personal highlight of the course for me was the final year special project which allowed for great independence with topic selection and research. I produced three songs in the style of the first three sub genres of house music, along with a 20 page written document, which analyzed production techniques.

I would recommend the course to anybody aspiring to a career within the music industry.

Joe Eftihiou

The lecturers were all very knowledgeable, with strong industry backgrounds. Working with other courses taught interpersonal skills and that the music industry is generally very collaborative. The course wasn't afraid of getting technical. The final year project I found very fulfilling. Certain units such as Radio Skills are a welcome addition that most Music Technology courses don't have.

We value real-world experience to prepare you for life beyond university, which is why we’ve forged connections with thousands of companies locally, nationally and internationally. Through our placements, you can gain that all-important practical experience whilst you complete your course.

From volunteering, internships and placements, through to a fee free year in industry, we offer a whole host of opportunities to enhance your employability. Discover more

Whether you want to learn a new language, build networks, simply have the travel bug, or want to develop new skills and life experiences, our Go Global programme offers the opportunity to broaden your horizons, enhance your CV, and gain a truly international experience, all at the same time as studying towards your undergraduate degree. The Go Global programme is open to students from the UK and EU.

Travel to exciting destinations, including:

China

Vietnam

India

New York

Malaysia and Singapore

At the University of Bedfordshire we ensure that your experience here is cultural, as well as academic. That’s why a whole host of opportunities are opened up to you, providing you with that all important experience to make you stand out from the crowd when it comes to getting graduates jobs.

Go Europe

Our International students meanwhile, can make the most of trips to a series of exciting European destinations. From France and Belgium, to Holland and Germany, there are plenty of places to visit, network and broaden your knowledge of the global market place, by seeing and experiencing it for yourself, first-hand.

At the University of Bedfordshire we ensure that your experience here is cultural, as well as academic. That’s why a whole host of opportunities are opened up to you, providing you with that all important experience to make you stand out from the crowd when it comes to getting graduates jobs.

Fees and Funding

The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2018/19 is £9,250 per year.
You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees.
You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs.

The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2018/19 is £11,500 per year.
A prompt payment discount is available if you pay the full Year 1 fee before or at registration. There are also special scholarships available.

Town centre location

Luton is the largest town in Bedfordshire and is approximately 50km north of London.

It has excellent transport links to the rest of the UK and Europe, and central London is only a 30-minute train journey away.

Luton is has excellent transport links to other cities such as Manchester, Leeds and Milton Keynes. London Luton Airport is located just 2.5km from the Luton campus.

As BA Music Technology student you will have access to state of the art Music Technology facilities, including a dedicated computer lab with a wide range of music software, two recording studios and 16 iMacs.

How to Apply

Application for most full-time undergraduate and foundation courses is via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

We expect to receive UCAS applications between 1 September and 15 January for courses starting in the following academic year, but may consider applications received after this date should places be available.